No. 25 Arizona State entered the Big 12 Tournament as the No. 6 seed after an 11-13 conference record during the regular season.

ASU showed flashes of its potential during the regular season, taking two of three against No. 15 Oklahoma State and losing a very close three-game set against No. 20 Arizona. 

However, everything came together for the Sun Devils at Devon Park in Oklahoma City on Saturday. 

While beating the Arizona Wildcats and Oklahoma State Cowgirls in the tournament was impressive, ASU’s final task was taking down No. 4 Texas Tech, the Big 12 regular-season champion that swept the Sun Devils in Tempe over the weekend of April 24-26.

However, senior right-handed pitcher Kenzie Brown took the mound. 

Brown pitched a complete game shutout, only allowing two hits and striking out nine. A four-run third inning by ASU proved decisive, as the Sun Devils won their first Big 12 Tournament championship, defeating the Red Raiders 4-0 on Saturday, May 9. To win the tournament, ASU defeated the top three seeds in the Big 12 and three All-Big 12 pitchers.

Brown was a big part of the Sun Devils’ success, pitching two complete games while only allowing one run over both of her starts.

On the other side, Texas Tech sent senior right-hander NiJaree Canady to the circle. Canady won Co-Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and was named a First Team All-American in 2025.

ASU broke through in the fourth inning, as senior designated player Tanya Windle homered for the second straight game, hitting a solo shot against Canady to put the Sun Devils up 1-0.

Red Raiders head coach Gerry Glasco then put in junior left-hander Kaitlyn Terry for the rest of the fourth.

After a fielding error and a flyout, Terry gave up back-to-back home runs to junior third baseman Emily Schepp and junior first baseman Katie Chester, extending the lead to 4-0.

Canady re-entered the game in the fifth and recorded a total of nine strikeouts while only allowing one run. However, the Sun Devils managed to get runners in scoring position against Canady in five different innings.

Schepp, Windle and sophomore second baseman Tiare Ho-Ching led ASU’s offense, each going 2-for-3 at the plate.

With wins against Oklahoma State’s Ruby Meylan on Friday and Canady on Saturday, the Sun Devils defeated both Co-Big 12 Pitchers of the Year in consecutive games.

Compare the Sun Devils’ 2026 tournament run to exactly one year ago, when Texas Tech run-ruled ASU 18-0 in the Big 12 semifinal on their way to winning the tournament. 

A year later, the Sun Devils got their revenge in a big way, defeating the Red Raiders to become Big 12 champions in their second season in the conference.  

By winning the Big 12 tournament, ASU secured the Big conference automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament and enters with a 41-16 record.